Trips Out of Camp at SMA Teen Summer Camp

One thing that makes Stone Mountain Adventures unique is that we often take trips away from camp! Besides the van rides (which are usually brief and always fun), these activities are some of the best and most varied that we have to offer.

Five Campers river rafting on our out of camp trip.

White Water Rafting

Once per session we launch our whole camp onto the Class III rapids of the Youghiogheny River for a seven-mile white water rollercoaster ride. Helmets and life jackets are worn for safety, and professional guides ensure a safe and exciting voyage. This is one of the activities we do as an entire camp, which makes it all the more fun. Whitewater rafting is guaranteed to increase your heart rate!

Amish MarketOvernight Summer Camp for Teenagers PA

Every Wednesday in a nearby Amish community, there's a market to browse and an auction where campers may watch livestock such as cattle, pigs, sheep and horses being bought and sold. Campers also have the chance to buy and bring home a rabbit to care for during their stay at camp. Don’t forget to buy a homemade Amish whoopee or moon pie – yum!

Berry Picking

When blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries & strawberries come into season in central PA, we offer berry picking as an activity! We pick berries to eat and try to save enough to make desserts for the entire camp. This is a popular summer camp activity for those with a sweet tooth!

University Visit Program

Our University Visit Program is open to our 15 – 16 year old campers and is designed to give campers a firsthand look at two unique and different institutions of higher learning. We will take one full day each session to visit Juniata College in the morning and Penn State University in the afternoon. 

 

Juniata College

SMall CampJuniata College, located in nearby Huntingdon, is the only college in the nation recognized by all of the following diverse listings of high quality institutions: The 2007 Princeton Review, Loren Pope, Peterson’s, Miriam Weinstein’s, Barron’s, Kaplan’s, Leland Miles’, ELLEgirl, and Don Asher’s.

  • 1,400 students (82% are residential and housing is guaranteed)
  • Student to faculty ratio is 13:1 and every student has two academic advisors
  • 96% of those who graduate do so in four years
  • 100% applying to medical school in two out of the last five years were accepted
  • 100% applying to law school were accepted in the last two years
  • 82% of Juniata’s graduates completed an internship and 40% studied abroad

Juniata College was also listed among the “40 Colleges that Change Lives" and has a Nobel Prize winner among its graduates, along with Fulbright Scholars, Udall scholarship recipients, All USA College Academic Honors, and St. Andrew’s Society Scholarship recipients.

 

Pennsylvania State University

SMA Small CampPenn State University is a state-related, land-grant university in State College. The University has 24 campuses throughout the state, including a virtual World Campus. The enrollment at the Penn State University Park campus is 42,914 with a total enrollment of over 84,000 across its 24 campuses, placing it among the ten largest public universities in the U.S. Penn State offers more than 160 majors and administers a $1.4 billion endowment.

Why visit colleges?

The goal of this program is to give our older campers at our small camp exposure to college life and to help them to understand the college application process. Special focus will be placed on the importance of both academic achievement and extra-curricular/leadership experiences in the eyes of the admissions offices. This program will be led by our camp counselors who are college graduates who will help to facilitate discussions with campers about their college experiences.

  

Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts

During First Session we go the Central PA Festival of the Arts for live music, art, exhibits and great food! This event is held in nearby State College, PA.

4th of July Fireworks

During our First Session we will travel over Pine Grove Mountain to State College, PA, to see the Fireworks and celebrate our nation’s Independence Day!

Huntingdon County Fair

During our Second Session we will go to Huntingdon to the county fair. There are amusement rides, games, special events, and animals of all shapes and sizes.

Pennsylvania State Parks

On Sunday afternoons after lunch we all venture to one of the many state parks around camp for an All Camp Day of sports activities, hiking, crafts and swimming. This is followed by a BBQ cookout at the park.


Other activities that sometimes take place out of 
camp:

  • Camping overnights
  • Canoe trips
  • Hiking or backpacking trips
  • Mountain biking the Allegrippis trail at Raystown Lake
  • Community Service Projects